Safety device for gas stoves



Feb, 1'2, 1931a ERG SAFETY DEVICE FOR ms STOVES Filed June 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l lti lllllulllll NVENTOR )LMERA. BERG ATTORN EY Feb 17,1931.

A. A. BERG SAFETY DEVICE FOR GAS STOVES Filed June 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR A LMERA. BER e ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES .AIJMER7 A. BERG, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA SAFETY DEVICE FORIGAS STOVES Application filed June 24,

This invention relatesto safety devices for gas stoves and ranges, and the primary ob- ]ect is to rovide a simple, eflicient, and practical mec anism for automatically shutting off the gas supply to the stove when one of the burners, which has previously been lighted, is blown out or otherwise accidentally extinguished. A further object is to provide in such a mechanism a novel form of thermolo static actuator. A further object is to provide a thermostatic shut 01f of the type indicated which is very efiective for the purpose erative by the closing of the usual supply it valve to the individual burner. These and further objects will be disclosedin the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a stove section embodying my invention.

Fig. 2'is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1. 7 p Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3"3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on the line 1-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings more articularly and by reference characters, 7 designate's the main frame or grid support of an ordinary gas stove or plate having a burner B, and a gas supply pipe C connected to the burner by the usual control valve D. The burner B is carried on a bar E. releasably suspended in brackets F on theframe A, in the "usual manner, so that the burner can be readily removed for cleaning purposes. The valve D has a handle 5,-to open and close the valve by a quarter-circular turn thereof. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this valve is open, and

is} closed when the handle 5 is moved a quarter turn in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1, The valve core carries a cam memher 6, the

purpose of which will presently be described.

\ Another valve, G, is cut into the pipe C,

- in advance of the other valves of the stove, and when closed shuts off the entire fuel sup ply to thestove. This valve is open when the stove isin use. but has a spring 7-which tends.

1929. Serial No. 373,266.

to always turn it to a closed position. This valve is also of the rotating core type, and is provided with a manipulating handle S. The core of this valve is provided, at its upper end, with a ring 9 having a notch 10 inwhich normally rests a latch or lugs 11 of a lever 12. This lever is pivotally secured to the valve, as at '13, and the lug 11 normally engages the notch-1O to hold the valve G open against the tension of the spring 7. When the depending or long end of the lever 12 is moved rearward .(i. e., to the left as shown in Fig. 4) the lug noted, but which is rendered inactive or inop- 11 disengages the ring 9, and thus permits the spring 7 to closethe valve.

The lever 12 is tripped, to release the lug 11, by a second lever or arm 14 of a shaft 15 that is journaled in the main frame A. The shaft 15 has a crank portion 16, in which is disposeda link bar or rod 17 having a toothed portion 18 which, at times, is in a'position to drop down and engage the crank 16, as indicated in Fig. 3. The outer end of the bar 17 is arranged adjacent to the cam 6, and A the inner end is pivotally connected, as at 19, to an intermediate part of a strip of thermostatic metal 20. This thermostatic element20 is ofthe well known type of bidifferent coeflicients of expansion are fused.

.or otherwise connected together, whereby when subjected to different temperatures it will bend or curve from a normal condition. The strip 20 is supported near its ends, in the slotted upper endsof a pair of posts 21 of supporting bars 22, which bars may be mountedin any suitable manner such as by being attached, at their ends, to the members E and C.

. The operation of the device may be briefly described, as follows:

As previousl noted, the valve G is always open, being held in this position by he lug 11 of the lever 12, which lever and its actuating arm 14 are normally in the ositions shown in Fig.4. With the valve closed, that is, with-the handle 5 to the right, as shown in Fig.1, no gas is supplied to the burner B, and the cam 6 operates to hold the bar 17 in a raisedposition withrespect to'the crank 16 of the shaft 15. At normal room temperature the thermostatic bar is in a straight position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the valve D is opened, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, gas is supplied to the burner B in the usual manner, and is ignited in any suitable manner, such as by a pilot burner (not shown) This action also turns the cam 6 so that the bar. 17 drops down into engagement with the crank 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The heat developed by the burner B new acts upon the bar 20, and bends it into a bow-shaped or arcuate position, shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the bar advances the tooth 18 until it drops down into the position shown in Fig. 3. As long as the burner B is burning the parts will stay in the positions in dicated, and when it is desired to extinguish the burner it is only necessary to turn the handle 5 of the valve D in the usual manner to. shut off the gas, and this action will cause the cam 6 to again lift the bar 17 to'diseuigage the tooth 18 from the crank 16 of the cidentally extinguished burners. To reset theshaft 15. Should the burner B accidentally go out, however, while the valve 1) is open, the absence of heat to the bar 20 will cause it tov again straighten out, whereupon the tooth 18 will act upon the crank 16 to pull it towards the burner B, and this action will in turn cause a movement of the lever arm -14c'to the left, as shown in Fig. 4, which movement will trip the lever 12 to disengage the lug 11 from the notch 10, thus permitting the valve G to close, and to thereby shut off the entire supply of gas to the burners of the stove. When the gas supply has thus become automatically shut off there is obviously no danger of gas escaping from acdevice it is only necessary to first close the valve D to disengage the tooth 18 from the crank 16, and to then again open the valve G to permit the reengagement of the lug 11. ,It may here be mentioned that while only one burner unit and only one safety device have been shown, it is understood that similar devices can be applied to other burners of the stove, in which case the shaft 15 is extended and provided with additional cranks, such as 16, for the additional burners.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: l

1. The combination with a gas stove havinga burner and a fuel supply pipe for the burner, of a valve for the burner, a second valve in the fuel supplypipe, thermostatically operative menas, influenced by the heat of the burner, for effecting a closing of'the second valve upon extinguishment of the burner when the burner valve is open, and means for rendering said thermostatically operative means inoperative by a closing movement of the burner valve.

, 2. The combination with a gas stove having a burner and a fuel supply pipe for the burner, of,a valve for the burner, a second valve in the fuel supply pipe, and thermostatically operative means, influenced by the heat of the burner, for effecting a closing of the second valve upon extinguishment of the burner when the burner valve is open, and means, rendered operative upon closing of the burner valve, to effectively disconnect the thermostatically operative means from the second valve.

3. The combination with a gas stove having a burner, a valve for the burner, a fuel supply pipe for the burner, and a second valve in the pipe spaced from and independent of the burner valve, of a thermostatically operated device associated with the burner and operatively connected to the burner valve for effecting a closing of the second valve when the burner is extinguished while the burner valve is open.

4. The combination with a gas stove having a burner, a valve for the burner, a fuel supply pipe for the burner, and a second valve in the pipe, of a thermostatically operated device associated with the burner for effecting a closing of the second valve when the burner is extinguished while the burner valve in the fuel supply pipe, a lever acting member normally holding the last mentioned valve open, temperature responsive means associated with the burner to actuate the lever acting member, and means rendered operative by a closing movement of the burner valve to render the temperature responsive means inoperative to close the fuel pipe valve.

6. The combination with a gas stove having a burner, a valve for the burner, a fuel supply pipe for the burner, of. a yieldably closed valve in the fuel supply pipe, a lever acting member normally holding the last mentioned valve open, temperature responsive means associated with the burner to actuate the lever acting member, said means rendered operative by a closing movement of the burner valve to effectively disconnect the temperature responsive means with respect to said lever acting member.

7. The combination with a burner and supply pipe of a gas stove, of a valve for the burner, a second valve in the supply pipe, temperature responsive means for closing the supply pipe valve when the burner is meaoae extinguished with the burner valve open, and a cam acting member associated with the burner valve, and operative upon a closing action of the burner valve, to efi'ectively disconnect the temperature responsive means from the supply p'ipe valve.

8. The combination with a stove having a burner, a valve for the-burner, a fuel supply pipe for the burner, and. a second valve, in

said pipe, of a thermostatic element arranged in a position'to be influenced by the heat of the burner, a shaft operatively connected with the pipe valve to effect closing thereof, a rod adapted to connect said element with the shaft whereby the element may operate to actuate the latter, and means rendered operative upon opening of the burner valve to release the'frod whereby it may so connect with the sha t.

9. The combination with a stove having a burner, a valve for the burner, a fuel supply pipe for the burner, and a second valve, in said pipe, of a thermostatic element arranged in a position to be influenced by the heat of the burner, a shaft operatively connected with the pipe valve to efiect closing thereof, 'a rod adapted to connect said element with the shaft whereby the element may operate to actuate the latter, and means rendered operative upon closing of the burner valve to move the rod into an inactive position with respect to the shaft.

10. The combination with a stove having a burner, a valve for the burner, a fuel supply pipe for the burner, and a second valve, in said pipe, of a thermostatic element arranged the first valve, for moving the actuator bar 1 into operative and inoperative positions.

Signed at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin, and State of Minnesota, this 20thday of June 1929.

, ALMER A. BERG,

in a position to be influenced by the heat of W the burner, means tending to close the su ply pipe valve, a latch releasably holding t e pipe valve open, and an operative connection between the thermostatic element and the supply pipe valve, said connection being associated with the burner valve in a manner permitting the thermostatic element to trip the latch only when the burner valve is open.

11, The combination with a stove having a burner, a valve for the burner,'a fuel supply pipe for the burner, and a second valve, in. said pipe, of a thermostatic element arranged in a position to be influenced by the heat of the burner, means tending to close the supply pipe valve, a latch releasably holding the pipe valve open, and an operativeconnection between the thermostatic element and the supply pipe valve, said connection including an actuator rod, and a cam member operated by the burner valve to efi'ectively disconnect the actuator rod when the burner valve is closed.

12. The combination with a stove having a burner, a valve for the burner, and a second valve forcontrolling the vfuel supply to the first valve, of a strip ofbendahle thermostatic metal disposed adjacent to the hurner,

DISOLAlMER 1,793,043.Almer A. Berg, Minneapolis, Minn. SAFETY DEVICE FOR Gas STovEs. Patent dated February 17, 1931.' Disclaimer filed February 13, 1932, by the patentee.

- Hereby enters this disclaimer to a part of the patent, as follows:

Disclaimer is entered as to claim 1, except when said claim is construed to give to the said burner valve a construction wherein the same is'capable of being manually operated to be fully opened or completely closed.

Disclaimer is entered as to claim 2, except when the structure covered thereby is used independently of any thermostat control mechanism for regulating the supply of gas to the burner.

Disclaimer is entered as to claim 3, except when the said thermostatically operated device associated with the burner and operatively connected to the burner valve for effecting a closing of the second valve,. as recited therein, is construed to include a spring device, which upon being released, will operate directly upon the said second valve to close it.

Disclaimer is entered as to claim 4, except when said device associated with the burner for eiiecting a closing of the second valve is construed to describe a device for effecting said closing movement with a snap action.

Disclaimer is entered as to claim 5, except when said yieldably closed valve, as recited therein, is construed to describe a valve having a spring member tending at all times to retain the valve closed.

Disclaimer is entered as to claim 6, except when said claim is construed to give to the said first mentioned valve a construction wherein the same is capable of discimnecting the temperature responsive means only when the said valve is completely 0 osed.

Disclaimer is entered as to claim 7, except when said second valve is construed to be provided with a spring tending at all times to close it and which spring will close the valve with a quick action when the burner is extinguished with the burner valve [Ofiicial Gazette March 15, 1.932.] 

